AWS Data Engineer

Syms Strategic Group (SSG) is seeking a talented Senior Systems Engineer (Amazon Web Services (AWS) Data Engineer) to support the Veterans Affairs (VA) department. This is a full‑time, 100 % remote position.

Location: Remote | Department: Veterans Affairs (VA) | Salary Range: $85,389 – $116,975 | Security Clearance: Public Trust (MBI)

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the next phase of the healthcare data platform modernization.
• Implement the evolution from a Microsoft SQL XML object store toward a scalable, cloud‑native AWS data architecture that enables business stakeholders and analysts to run performant, SQL‑based reports and queries against healthcare data seamlessly.
• Evaluate and decide the right AWS data strategy for the platform.
• Recommend the optimal AWS‑native data storage and query architecture for the XML object store data, assessing options such as S3 + Athena, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, and OpenSearch based on query patterns, reporting needs, cost, and scalability.
• Design and build the reporting and query layer that allows business stakeholders and non‑technical users to run relational SQL queries against healthcare data using familiar tooling.
• Architect the migration path for XML object store data from MSSQL into the target AWS platform, defining storage formats, partitioning strategies, and data organization for optimal query performance.
• Build and maintain AWS data catalog, schemas, and metadata management so that object store data is discoverable and queryable by business users.
• Optimize query performance and cost across chosen AWS services – partitioning, compression, file formats, and query pattern tuning.
• Work directly with business stakeholders and analysts to understand reporting requirements and translate them into durable, performant data models and query patterns.
• Collaborate with back‑end C#/.Net engineers to ensure data flows cleanly from Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) processing pipelines into the new data layer.
• Implement and maintain CI/CD pipelines for data infrastructure using AWS‑native tooling (CodePipeline, CodeBuild, and CodeDeploy).
• Apply Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices using AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK), CloudFormation, or Terraform.
• Document architecture decisions, data flows, and data dictionaries clearly for both technical and non‑technical audiences.

Required Skills and Experience

• 8+ years of software or data engineering experience with a strong AWS focus.
• Proven experience architecting and executing cloud data platform migrations in production enterprise or healthcare environments.
• Track record of evaluating and selecting AWS data services to meet business reporting and query requirements.
• Experience delivering reporting or analytics solutions that serve non‑technical business users.
• Deep hands‑on AWS experience across data‑oriented services – S3, Athena, Glue, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, OpenSearch, Lambda, IAM, and CloudWatch.
• Strong SQL skills with the ability to design relational query layers over semi‑structured or non‑relational data (XML, JSON).
• Experience working with XML‑heavy data stores – parsing, querying, and transforming XML at scale.
• Ability to evaluate trade‑offs across AWS data services and make architecture recommendations based on cost, performance, and business requirements.
• Familiarity with AWS analytics and reporting services, including Athena, QuickSight, Redshift, or equivalent BI tooling.
• Proficiency with Git and GitHub – branching strategies, pull requests, and collaborative workflows.
• Familiarity with CI/CD practices and AWS‑native tooling (CodePipeline, CodeBuild, CodeDeploy).
• IaC experience (AWS CDK, CloudFormation, or Terraform).
• Strong ability to communicate technical architecture decisions and trade‑offs to non‑technical stakeholders.
• Experience gathering and translating business reporting requirements into technical data models.
• Comfort driving ambiguous architecture decisions to resolutions with limited direction.
• Experience with Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) and Jira.
• Strong documentation habits – architecture diagrams, data dictionaries, migration runbooks.

Desired Experience

• Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) X.12 (Medical Claims X.12, 837, 835, 277CA, etc.), Health Level 7 (HL7), Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR).
• Familiarity with C#/.Net back‑end services for integration touchpoints.
• Experience with Entity Framework migration or deprecation projects.
• Experience with healthcare payer/Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM) systems, clearinghouses, or pharmacy operations.
• Knowledge of HIPAA compliance requirements in cloud data architecture.

Professional Certifications

None required; AWS certifications are considered a bonus.

Formal Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline; equivalent practical experience is also considered.

Citizenship Requirement

U.S. citizenship is required for this specific opportunity.

Security Clearance Requirements

Must possess or be able to qualify for a Public Trust (MBI) clearance.

Critical Notes

• Applicants must answer mandatory screening questions with information supported by their résumé; inconsistencies will result in disqualification.
• Recruiters or third parties will not be considered.
• Candidates from CA, CO, IL, MN, NJ, NY, OR, or WA will not be considered.
• This is a W‑2 position; all interviews will be conducted on Microsoft Teams with camera on.
• Applicants will be required to provide a LinkedIn profile link during screening.
• Selected candidates will undergo a government security investigation and must meet eligibility for access to classified information.
• Background investigation may include criminal history, employment and education verification, drug testing, and creditworthiness.